Alternate Universe: Saiyajin Rebellion
by Erin Sovenya
Summary: In an alternate universe, Prince Trunks is sent on a mission to retrieve the half-breed saiyajins from Earth. After finding a place among the saiyajins, Pan and Goten begin to change the saiyajin world; but will the saiyajins allow it? PT BG
1. Prologue

Prologue: The families

The prince looked up as the guard entered. "Your highness!" The guard said, saluting him. "The King requests you presence in the throne room." The young prince didn't say anything. He stood up, placed two fingers on his forehead, and vanished, leaving the guard to walk back. Instant transmission was a technique reserved for the royal family. The guard shook his head in amazement at such a technique.

The prince reappeared in front of his father and mother in the throne room. The courtiers behind him jumped reflexively and backed up. His father lashed out at him. "Why did you kill your guard?"

The prince sighed. "He was insolent." His father opened his mouth, but he prince cut him off, "Not just once father. I remember your lessons on not wasting men. After I let his first insolence slide, it only increased."

"Hmph." The king said. "Well, alright. Just don't make it a habit."  
"Yes father." he said. He gave a small bow and turned to leave.

"Not just yet son." His mother called. A small smile touched his lips. The rumors were right about him. He was cold, through and through. Only one thing could thaw him, and that was his loving mother. "You father has a mission for you." The smile left his lips.

"You are going to lead a team to Chikyuusei in the Sol sector," his father said. "There are some half-breeds there. Two of them. They cannot be left unchecked. You will find them and bring them back. If they won't come, kill them."

"Who is this team?" the prince asked.

"Three elites. And your sister" His father replied with a slight frown. "Mardon, Lete, and Parse. They will met you at the loading dock in thirty minutes. You will be going in a seven person ship, complete with the newest version of your mother's gravity machine. You will keep training on the way there, and you, personally, will train the two half-breeds on the way back."

"But," he said with a grimace. "Why is the princess coming?" He left the rest unsaid. Yes, his sister was a warrior, but she was not an elite in any way.

"Because now that she has reached legal adulthood she needs diplomatic experience," his father said. "Leave." the princess had turned sixteen, their age where a female was considered an adult, only a week before.

"Yes King," the Prince said as he bowed yet again. "Good-bye, mother." He smiled at her, placed two fingers to his forehead, and he disappeared. The king looked at the spot where his son had been standing only a moment before.

"When did the boy get so soft?" he growled so silently, his wife had to strain to catch his words. "Calling you mother like that, right here in court." His wife looked at his and shook her head in disbelief.

"If he is getting so soft, why are you sending him to Chikyuusei?" She asked her mate, just as quietly. "My home planet is notorious for its 'softness'."

"Quiet, woman," the king said, unwilling to admit he hadn't thought of it. "Do not question my actions."

"Especially not when their wrong, hmm?" the queen retorted. The king smirked.

"Right."

Many solar systems away, a young girl with black hair was sitting under an oak tree with her uncle. They both had dark hair, dark eyes, a warrior's physique, and were quite young, him being maybe eight years older than her.

"Uncle!" the girl said once she stopped laughing. "I think I should go home now. My father will be worried." She got up and stretched languidly.

"Right," he said, also getting up. "Oh, tell your dad hello for me, I might not get to see him until the budoukai. I plan on doing some training at kami's. It's the only way I'll be able to stay ahead of you, warrior woman!"

"Don't call me that," she said, sticking out her tongue. Before he could respond, she took off into the air, too far ahead for him to reply. Both were laughing as they parted, unaware of the chain of events that had been set in motion to bring them billions of light years away from everything they held dear.


	2. Introductions

Chapter 1: Introductions

"Trunks, we're about to land." Announced his overly chipper sister. He was in his normal getup, deep purple spandex with the traditional white and gold torso armor, and his personal sigil over the top left, white boots and gloves. Bura's outfit was identical to his, except that the boots were knee high and the spandex was lavender.

"I know," the prince said with a sigh. His sister was a royal pain. "I'm standing in front of a fifteen foot monitor that has the mountains of Orange district on it. I can see the bloody house where the half-breeds live. Shut up."

"Fine." she pouted. She was actually quite brilliant, just like her mother and brother, but she acted like this solely to grate on her brother's nerves, and he knew it. At sixteen and twenty-two, they should have been past such sibling animosity, but they had never grown out of it.

"Bura, I know you love being a ditz," he said calmly. "But while we're on this mission please remember that you _are_ a Saiyajin princess, and a first class warrior, not a teenage Chikyuujin." She sighed.

"I hate you." She said with mock ferocity. Secretly, she was angry with him. He knew she wasn't stupid! Did he really think she would jeopardize the mission by acting like an idiot in front of the demi-saiyajins? One of the elites, Parse, announced landing.

"A small group of people have gathered around our ship." He reported. "My scouter...can't read their power level." He said in awe. The scouters, with the queen's help, could read power levels far beyond that of an elite, In fact, she was working on a new one for when her husband and son surpassed what hers could register.

"Are you sure?" Bura asked, suddenly serious. "Wait...zoom in on one in particular."

He gave a sigh of relief. "Princess, they're on the scouter now, but still...the female is about even with the Prince and his father, and all of the males are higher. And Princess? I think they're holding back."

"That's okay Parse," Prince Trunks broke in. "So are we. No scouter has ever been trained on the king, the princess or myself while at full power. They all explode." A slight trace of humor colored his last statement and the warrior looked stunned. For Trunks, that was the equivalent of rolling on the floor in laughter. Then again, that was something the prince would find funny.

He broke them out of their thoughts by opening the ramp. "Bura." he snapped. She walked calmly to his side, slightly behind him. "No, Bura, even with me. We're co-leaders of this expeditions from here on out, seeing as there is a female demi-saiyajin." She nodded and stepped even with him as they descended the ramp.

There was a group of about seven waiting for them at the bottom. Two were obviously Saiyajin, with spiky black hair, dark eyes, and a fierce glint in their eyes. One, a female about Bura's age, had the same black features and Saiyajin look, but her hair was silky smooth, if a little ruffled. The only other female had dark hair and blue eyes, and a human countenance. A short bald Earthman with no nose looked nervous, if ready to fight, and the last one was a Namekian warrior. Bura gave a low hiss to notice none of the warriors had tails.

As the two royal siblings reached solid Earth, the Saiyajin girl gave a startled jump. One of the Saiyajin men turned to her, but Trunks spoke before he could.

"Greeting, Earthmen, Saiyajins, and Namekian," Trunks said coolly. "I am Prince Trunks of Vejitasei, and this is my sister, Princess Bura." He didn't bother to introduce the warriors behind him. "We have come to bring the demi-saiyajins home. To Vejitasei."

Two of the warriors immediately fell into defensive postures around one of the females, who fell into an attack stance.

"And what," the female said in a cool tone meant to mock the Prince's, "if we do not choose to return with you to Vejitasei?" Trunks snapped his fingers and Parse, Lete, and Mardon launched themselves at the three. Parse and Lete each took on one of the men, while Mardon went for the girl.

"A bit hasty, brother," Bura said, amusement coloring her tone.

"Pan!" The men cried at the same time, as the girl took a punch squarely to the jaw and went flying. It didn't seem to phase her, and she turned her fall into a graceful landing. Relieved, the males turned to face the men hurling at them.

They blocked all of the attacks Parse and Lete sent at them, but offered no attacks of their own.

"Its like they don't want to hurt them," Bura remarked, watching the spectacle. Trunks grunted, and made a small motion towards Mardon. "How un-Saiyajin of them."

"This 'Pan' seems to have no problem attacking," he said, and it was true. After being hit, Pan had gone on an all-out attack against Mardon, and he was taking a serious beating. About ten seconds into her onslaught, he fell, not getting back up. "Check on Mardon, Bura. Diplomatically."

Bura nodded, understanding that she wasn't to raise a hand in what might be termed 'offensive'. She walked over to the fallen warrior and checked for a pulse.

"He's dead." she called over to her brother.

"Give him a warriors burial." He said without looking away from the other two fights. "After that, go talk to the girl. Set conditions, but get them on our ship."

She nodded and turned back to Mardon. She held out her hand and sent forth a moderate sized ki blast that incinerated his body, said the few words for burial with a slight bow to the pile of ashes. She straightened and walked over to the woman.

"Am I supposed to fight you now, Princess?" The girl asked warily, slipping into a defensive posture. She wasn't even sweating from her previous battle. "Just so you know, he wasn't dead. I could still feel his ki."

What does she mean, 'feel his ki'? Never mind. Bura thought. "No." She smiled and extended a hand which the girl hesitantly took. "Apologies for your jaw, I'm afraid its bruising. My brother does not believe in peaceful solutions. Nor, typically, do I. But I believe two demi-saiyajins should be able to work something out, don't you, miss..."

"The names Son." She said in a clipped tone. She obviously didn't trust Bura's smooth answer. "So you and the Prince are half-Saiyajin too? Explains the hair. What do you mean by 'work something out' exactly?"

"Well, Son, my father, the king, sent us to retrieve the two demi-Saiyajins here on Earth. We were told to bring you back," Bura said. "Or kill you. Hence my brother's reaction to your question."

"Why should we come?" Son asked, suspicious. "We have friends and family here. Why should we leave that to go to a planet of blood-thirsty Saiyajins?"

"Because if you don't, we'll kill you." Bura said simply. "I don't mean to sound cruel, but those are our instructions.; If it means blowing up Earth, then we will blow up Earth. From what I have seen, Earth is a beautiful place, and I would rather not see it explode."

"So, its either we go with you to the planet of the apes," Son said drolly. "Or watch our planet get blown up by ice cube over there?" She jerked a hand at Trunks. Bura's eyes narrowed at this disrespect.

"That _ice cube_ is your Prince," She snapped, her diplomatic senses flying out the window. "Show some respect!"

"He," Son returned. "Is not my prince until I agree to go with you! Even then, he will not be my prince until I am told that I, Son Pan, am a citizen of Vejitasei by Lord High-and-Mighty himself. Forgive me if I'm not the picture of diplomacy, being a fighter and all. Gohan is the one you should talk to if you want a peaceful solution."

"Why not the other?" Bura asked.

"Because my dear uncle just laid the smack-down on your lackey," Son said, pointing to where a semi-conscious Lete was struggling to sit up. Goten hit him again, and he was still. "I think he's sick of this nonsense. My...uh, that is, Gohan will probably try and talk baldy into a truce. One where you leave and we stay, but its better than what you'll get from me or him."

"Fine," Bura said.

"I'll lead." Pan said curtly. She flew right up to the two fighters and knocked Parse out with one swift kick to the groin. "Dad, this is Bura. She wants to try diplomacy."

Dad? Oh great "Let me tell you what I've told Son." Bura began.

Trunks looked at his sister talking with two of the half-breeds with a frown. The third one saw and joined them. The girl, who had obviously heard it already, walked towards him.

"Prince Ice cube, I presume," The girl said, walking up to him. His eyes narrowed, but he let it slide.

"And you would be...?" He said coolly.

"Son Pan," she looked at him intensely, as if trying to figure out what kind of person he was through his eyes. Apparently, she figured it out. "You can call me Pan." She gave him a small smile and extended a hand. He took it. He didn't know why he did, Princes didn't shake hands. Even more surprising was what he said next.

"Call me Trunks."


	3. The Journey

Chapter 2: The Journey

A few minutes later, Bura stormed past Pan, telling her to pack her things. She grabbed her brother and pulled him behind her. Pan left.

"All that Goten did was argue," Bura fumed to her brother from the privacy of their ship. The three Earth saiyajins had been convinced to come along, and were packing their things. "I don't like him brother, he's gonna cause trouble."

"Perhaps he will," Trunks said calmly. "But I shall deal with that when it comes. You will be in charge of teaching Pan how to act like a saiyajin, both a saiyajin warrior and woman. You will also teach the human female how to act. Parse," he continued, looking at his remaining soldier, "prepare three rooms for the Earthbreds."

"Yes my Prince," Parse saluted him and left the room, bumping into Pan as the demi-saiyajin walked in.

"Hello Pan," Trunks says. He notices that all she has is a backpack, which doesn't look full. "You pack light."

"I hardly think I'll need most of the stuff I had here on Vejitasei," Pan said drolly. "All I brought is some jeans and shirts, my training clothes, a few favorite books, and my photo album. My mom, on the other hand, wants to pack the whole house." She rolled her eyes.

"Here," Trunks replied, flicking a small capsule at her. "She should be able to fit everything she wants in that. It's a capsule made by my mother, Bulma." Pan nodded and flew off.

"Mother?" Bura said, giving Trunks a sidelong glance. "You haven't referred to her as mother in public since you were five."

"Thank you for your reminder," Trunks said, sarcasm tingeing his voice. "Seriously though, it just...came out." He turned away form his sister, a look of deep concentration in his purple eyes. Bura stood and walked out of the ship in the direction on the Son home.

"Wow! That capsule is really something." Pan said with a smile as she flew through the hatch again. She turned a thoughtful look on the cold prince. "Tell me about her. Your mother."

"My mother is a human, born near here actually," Trunks began. Pan moved to sit down next to him as he spoke. "Bulma Briefs, daughter of the owner of Capsule Corporation, the most technologically advanced company on Earth. Probably in the galaxy. She knew your grandfather briefly, for about one year, before the king -then prince- found her and brought her home to be his mate. She continued to produce technology for the Saiyajin empire, and still does."

Pan waited for him to speak more, thinking that couldn't be it. When he didn't, she spoke, "Well, nice biography, but what about your mother makes you love her?"  
"What makes you think I love my mother?" Trunks said coolly, staring her right in the eye. "I don't love anyone. Emotions are a sign of weakness." He stood up and began to leave the room. As he left, he added softly, very softly, "or at least that's what the king says."

Pan, however, heard him, and stood to follow him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Trunks..." she whispered, her voice conveying the pain she had realized he must be feeling. He turned to her and looked into her eyes. "I..."

"I hate you, Son Goten!" Bura screamed as she flew into the capsule. Trunks jerked away from Pan and quickly stepped away.

"Yeah, well you're not exactly helping matters, _Princess_!" Goten screamed back. "Just because your parents are rulers doesn't mean you can tell me what to do yet! So back off before I hurt you, woman!" Bura slapped him hard across the face and ran crying from the room.

"Uncle Goten?" Pan said incredulously. Goten usually got along with everyone. "What happened with Bura-hime?"

"That royal prat was trying to tell me to hurry up," He growled. "Told me to stop wasting my time packing 'trivialities'. She threw away my picture of Marron!" Suddenly Pan understood. Marron had been Goten's fiancé. The picture he was referring to was most likely the one of her right before her illness, standing with Goten in front of a lake not far from the house when they were both eighteen. She was smiling and hugging him. Two days later she was completely bedridden with a fatal lung disease. It was his favorite picture of her.

"Goten, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Pan said comfortingly. "She most definitely didn't know what that picture was, or how much it meant to you." He was crying, Pan noted, and she stood up. "I'll talk to her for you, Goten-kun." She got up and found the princess in her room.

"Bura-hime? It's Pan. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Pan explained why Goten blew up, and asked the Princess to offer him an apology for throwing the picture away. The princess refuse, saying that she apologized to no one.

"But in all honesty," she said sadly. "I am sorry. But daddy says never apologize to your warriors, or they'll think your weak."

"Nonsense!" Pan exclaimed sharply. "All it shows is that you care about their feelings."

"You don't understand, Pan," Bura said with a sigh. "Feelings and caring about them are considered weak on Vejitasei for any warrior, male or female. If I wasn't a warrior as well as the princess, I could probably apologize. But I can't. Trunks would kill me."

"That's harsh," Pan said grimly. "Good thing I'm not usually one for emotional crap. Well, except anger of course, but I assume that that emotion is tolerated?" Both women fell into a fit of giggles, interrupted only when Pan remembered the reason for her visit.

"Please apologize, Bura-hime," She entreated one last time. "Trunks doesn't have to know. I'll distract him while you apologize. After you do, tell him that he can't tell anyone and to come to me for an explanation."

"All right, Pan," Bura agreed after a moments hesitation. "But lets do it now. My brother should be in-"The saiyajin princess stopped abruptly as the ship lurched. "We're taking off! He could have warned us, the bloody prat! Come on, now is the best time. Challenge him to a spar once the ship clears orbit."

"Okay." They got up and made their way to the main room of the ship. "Have we cleared orbit yet, Prince Ice cube?" Pan asked cheekily.

"In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...we're clear. Why?" the prince asked indifferently.

"I want to spar, but Goten refuses, and so does your sister." Pan said. "And I gave up sparring my father long ago. So what do you say?"

"Well, I need to evaluate your power anyway," the prince said. "Alright." The two entered the gravity room and promptly began sparring, trading punches, kicks, and ki blasts faster than the eye could follow. Bura turned to Goten in the now-empty room. "Goten," she began. "I'm really sorry about what I said down there. I didn't realize..." she trailed off, not wanting to mention his dead love.

"It's alright," He said after an awkward silence. 'I know you couldn't have know better. I just got caught up." Another awkward silence ensued. "It wasn't recent, you know. She...died six years ago, when I was eighteen. I...I promised her I'd move on, but I can't seem to." He began crying again and Bura quietly left him to his memories.

Meanwhile, Trunks had gained the upper hand in their match, but only slightly. Pan decided that she wouldn't go super until she talked to her dad. She didn't know how wise it would be to reveal that all three could transform not only to super saiyajins, but to the level beyond super saiyajin (AN: SSJ2). All of a sudden, the wind was knocked out of Pan as she received a kick square in the stomach. She flew back into the wall, bouncing painfully off the titanium. She looked up to see the prince rushing at her, fist upraised. She quickly vaulted above his head, spun, and threw a kick to his head, which he grabbed. She attempted to escape as he swung her around by the foot, and ended up knocking into him, sending both of them crashing to the ground. Of course, he landed on top of her. He opened his eyes only to realize this. He turned red and jumped up.

"Hmph," he said, offering her a hand up as well.

Did Prince No-Emotions really just blush? Pan thought with a smirk that she (unsuccessfully) tried to hide. Maybe he does have emotions. He noticed her smirk and turned an even deeper shade of red.,

"I think its time we went to bed. Lessons can wait for tomorrow," he mumbled, gesturing towards the door. Pan couldn't' resist.

"Which lessons?" She teased as she passed through the doorway ahead of him. She heard him choke and turned around to see him turn even more red. She walked away with a laugh. She had to admit that he was very cute when he blushed.

The next morning, Pan and Bura sat in Pan's room going over Saiyajin customs. They had covered warrior customs first, seeing as how Pan would act primarily as a fighter at first.

"Warriors," Bura said. "Are equal on the battlefield and in the training room, regardless of gender. Ability is the only standard. When in a training facility, a man will move out of the way for the woman with higher power, but that's the only time."  
"Great," Pan said. "So as long as I stay in the training room, I shouldn't mess up."

"Pretty much," Bura admitted. "As long as you remember the rule that govern a warrior's life of Vejitasei. Now, onto female roles outside of battle." Pan groaned, and Bura glared at her. "A female may start a conversation with anyone she wishes, of course, except males of the royal family and elite class. Women pretty much have the same rights as on Earth, but with a few important differences."

"Such as?" Pan asked. She was paying attention, much as she didn't want to.

"The male can hit his mate if he wants," Bura said. "Of course, if the female is strong enough, she can always fight back, no government interference at all. A son may never strike his mother, punishable by jail and being ranked as third class permanently. Of course, a mother must raise her son properly. She is in charge of his early training, such as reading, writing, math, etc, as well as basic fighting skills such as flying, ki balls, and basic technique. Failure in this area can mean removal as the 'mother' of your children. Another woman will raise them, though you will still be their father's mate."

"But what about Bulma?" Pan asked. "Surely she didn't teach you all of that stuff? Well, obviously the mental skills, but Bulma can't fly."

"No, but she knew the theory." Bura replied with a smile. "She made one of the guards do whatever it was she wanted us to learn. A guard would stay in one exact spot until Bulma told him what to do. We learned quite quickly. Besides, I don't think my father would have decided to remove her as out mother."

"Oh, so the husband makes that decision, not the government?" Pan asked.

"Well, the husband can submit her as unfit, but the government has to check it out first to make sure its legit. Next, mating -marriage to you, I suppose. Probably much the same as your customs. A dating time, followed by a small ceremony. In the saiyajin ceremony, the male simply asks the female to be his mate forever in front of a witness not related to either saiyajin. They're not considered mated -married- until they're marked. The mark is just a small bite, usually around the neck/shoulders area. Notice how your third teeth are sharper than the others? Well, the bite is infused with a particular hormone which causes scarring, making the mark permanent. There are no divorces in Saiyajin culture. Of course, there is a bond also, making it almost impossible to separate anyway. It's a sort of mental affinity for your mate. No telepathy or empathy or any of that, but the two can tell exactly where the other is and if he or she is in danger."

"What happens when one dies?" Pan asked.

"Well, lets just say its not pleasant." Bura said with a frown.

"What's not pleasant?" both girls turned to see Videl in the doorway.

"Nothing mom," Pan said, getting up to hug her mom. After, she looked at her mother's throat. Sure enough, there was a small scar at the base of her neck. "I'll be back, Bura-hime. I'm going spar."

She walked to the gravity room and put the gravity on max, tensing her muscles as the gravity suddenly increased. She quickly began her usual warm-up of sit ups, push ups, punches and kicks. Suddenly she became aware of another ki in the room.

"Hello Trunks," She said without turning around.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked, surprised. Not that his surprise showed on his face, but Pan was getting good at reading both his and Bura's tails. The tip of his had given a small twitch to the right.

"I felt your ki," Pan said rolling her eyes. "duh." The prince looked at her intently.

"You mean you can sense other's ki?"

"Can't you?" Pan asked. He shook his head. "Here, I'll teach you. Its fairly easy....I'll bet you don't know how to hide your ki, or distinguish between them. I'll teach you those too."

After the lesson, they played hide-and-go-seek to test his skills. Pan was hiding under the bed Bura was on. "Pan." Bura said. "Why are you under my bed?"

"Shh!" She said, putting her finger to her lips. "Trunks and I are playing hide-and-seek! I'm hiding."

Bura's eyes narrowed. "Do you mean to tell me my brother is playing a children's game?" Pan nodded. "I don't believe it. He didn't play them we were children, why would he now?"

Pan gave the blue-haired princess a wicked grin. "Training." She pulled her head back under the bed just as Trunks burst through the door.

"HA!" He shouted. "FOUND you...Bura?" He stared at his sister, perplexed. Bura almost burst out laughing. "You're not Pan." he said. Bura rolled her eyes.

"Obviously not." she said. "What are you doing anyway, running around yelling like a child?" He glared at her.

"Training." he took another step into the room.

"Hide-and-go-seek is NOT training." Bura said, amazed by his answer.

"Actually, it is. Pan taught me how to sense ki, and I have to find her by her ki signature." He put his finger to his lips and reached for the bed. He reached under the bed and pulled Pan out. "Hello Pan."

"Hey Trunks," she mumbled, clearly upset at losing. She had crossed her arms and begun to sulk when all of a sudden, something happened that never had before.

Trunks laughed. Not the amused chuckle his father was famous for, he had done that before, but a real laugh.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Bura said jokingly to Trunks, who stopped laughing. He almost dropped Pan on her butt in his hurry to leave the room.

What just happened to me? Trunks thought. He had laughed. Trunks Briefs, Prince of Saiyajins, had laughed like an Chikyuujin. I'm getting weak. His eyes narrowed. And its all _her_ fault. If I don't talk to her, I won't get any weaker. He stopped just inside his room. Could he handle it?

"We land tomorrow!" Bura announced to the crew. It had been four days since Trunks had laughed, and he had avoided Pan like the plague. No, he hadn't avoided her, just completely and unobtrusively ignored her existence. He still spoke to her, and in a civilized manner, but there was nothing personal anymore. Ice cube was an apt description.

"Finally!" Gohan said with a smile. "I say we celebrate with an all-day mini-tournament!"

This was agreed upon by all, and they spent the better part of the day fighting each other. Parse, who was still injured, sat out. Bura beat Videl in the first match; Pan beat her father in the second match; and Trunks beat Goten by a hair in the third. Pan then easily beat Bura, and was about to take on Trunks.

They began fighting. Who does he think he is, acting all high-and-mighty? Pan thought angrily. He _has_ feelings, I know it! I saw them! She hit him with a punch in the jaw. Then how come there are no emotions now, not even pain? Another side argued. All saiyajins love battle, but he has no emotion towards it. Its just another thing to excel at She blocked a small ki blast and elbowed him in the stomach. Can't he just face reality? The other side retaliated. He has emotions, so why doesn't he just show them, the "JERK!" Pan yelled that last word as she punched him repeatedly in the stomach. She went to kick him, but Goten grabbed her arms, knocking her out of her train of thought.

"Pan! You won!" He said. "Stop kicking him, already!" She stopped, hands falling to her side, noticing that the purple haired prince was unconscious.

"Yay," she said gloomily as she walked to her room. She lay down and fell asleep. It was 10 pm.

Trunks regained consciousness a few seconds after Pan walked out. The last thing he remembered was seeing Pan's brown eyes, full of anger and sadness, as she yelled "jerk." He sighed and stood up.

"Well," Gohan said. "Are you okay, Prince?" Trunks nodded, brushing something off of his wife beater.

"Fine." The spot on his shirt wasn't coming off.

"Well, good night then," Goten said. "Wake us up before we enter the solar system, I want to see Vejitasei from space." Gohan and Goten left, along with Bra, who merely shot her brother a worried glance.

Trunks's hand stopped over the spot, recognizing it. It was a tear. And it wasn't his. He sat in the gravity room for awhile, then got up and left, turning off the light. This isn't working. And I don't like it.

"Pan?" Pan groggily sat up as the voice called her. The voice belonged to Trunks. "Pan, I,"

"Don't talk, Trunks," Pan said wearily. Probably wants to congratulate me for winning or some bloody stupidity like that. Suddenly she was enveloped in two strong arms. She could feel his hair against the back of her neck.

And then, so quietly that close as she was she almost didn't catch it, he said, "I love you." She turned around and looked into his eyes. For the first time, Pan saw emotion in them. Her lips met his in the sweetest kiss Pan had ever had. She broke away after a few seconds. "What? I..."

"Shh," Pan said. She lay back down, pulling him with her, and fell asleep in his arms. Trunks looked down at the black haired demi-saiyajin who had made a second spot of emotion in his ice cold heart. To HFIL with the king Trunks thought with a smile as he fell asleep. I'm happy.


	4. Homecoming

Chapter 3: Homecoming

_Crash!!_ "Look what you did, Goten!" Bura yelled, waking Pan and Trunks. Pan smiled and rolled over.

"I didn't do anything!" the other demi-saiyajin yelled back. "I was across the room!"

"Oh, so I'm lying?" She returned, tail lashing violently.

"Hai," Goten replied, just as angrily. Of course, he had no tail to lash about, but he was obviously angry.

"Good morning," Pan said, allowing him a light kiss before she got up. He merely grunted in reply as he, too, got up. I hope he doesn't keep up the ice cube act. Pan thought worriedly, glancing at him as he left for his morning workout. She took a quick shower and changed into the suit of saiyajin armor Bura had given her. Frowning, she noticed that it had a place for a tail.

"Bura?" she called, walking out of her room. She found the princess in her own room. "Bura, we don't have tails. Is that going to cause any problems for us on Vejitasei?" The blue haired woman frowned.

"I forgot about that. At first, yes," Bura replied. "But the good thing about regeneration tanks is that it replaces a saiyajin's tail if he loses it. So the first time you have to use a regeneration tank, you'll get your tail back.

"Really?" Pan asked. "Does- "

"Atmospheric contact in five minutes!" Trunks called down the hall. Pan jumped up and zoomed out of the room, determined to see Vejitasei from space. Bura followed more slowly, as the sight was nothing new to her.

Landing went well, and the royal siblings led the three demi-saiyajins and Videl into the palace as medics came to move Parse to a regeneration tank to finish his recovery. They were announced at the door as the Earthborn saiyajins, the prince, and the princess. Pan's first impression of the queen was that she was beautiful and in charge. Vejita struck her as hard and cold. So that's where Trunks gets it She thought with a smirk.

"Names." the king said curtly, looking over the three saiyajins. Their power levels were completely unimpressive; he didn't see how these three had been able to kill two of his elites and disable the other. The younger man stepped forward.

"My name is Son Goten. This is my brother Son Gohan, his mate, Videl, and their daughter, Son Pan." He gestured to each person as he said their name, the king jerked his head in acknowledgement. "My father was Son Goku, better known here as Kakarotto."

"Kakarotto?" Vejita said, trying to recollect the name. "Ah, yes, Bardock's youngest. Third class if I remember correctly. I assume you three" he completely disregarded the human. "are also third class by your power levels."

"Sir." Trunks interrupted politely. "None of these three are third class. I propose you put them to the test to best estimate their abilities. My personal estimation is that all three saiyajins are elite class, while his mate is third class."

"Well," his father said, sounding amused. Videl looked sick at the thought of joining the saiyajin army. Bura hadn't included army life in her training, only housekeeping and the like. "You think his mate can make third class? And the girl elite? Very well, they may take the test tomorrow. Who would you have them fight?"

"Well," Trunks said uncertainly. He moved closer to the platform so that only his parents could hear. "I think they should fight you, king." The king arched an eyebrow, but nodded after a moment of silence. "Privately, of course."

"Tonight, then," his mother said, joining in for the first time. "You should challenge Son Pan and Son Goten before supper, and fight Gohan after supper. We can find a second class warrior to fight Videl at the same time."

"Good idea, mother," Trunks said absently. He smiled. "You heard, Pan, Goten? Before supper. I'll show you all your temporary rooms and then you can fight the king." Pan turned pale on hearing that she had to fight King Vejita, Trunks's father. Sure, she could beat Trunks, but his father was probably -no, she felt, he was- more powerful and more experienced than her Trunks.

"Very well." the king said. "dismissed." Trunks and Bura bowed, and the demi-saiyajins hastened to imitate them before leaving.

Thirty minutes later, the king fought Pan. Vejita had found it necessary to go super saiyajin very early into the battle, as he realized that Pan was quite strong.

Pan was struggling with the decision to go super or not. Her father had advised not to, but her uncle had said she should. "After all," he had argued, "You're going to be fighting _for_ him, not against him He might as well know our abilities." Gohan had finally talked him out of transforming if they did not.

On seeing the king go super, Pan decided her uncle was right. If he could, then he wouldn't mind his elite fighters being able to as well. She quickly transformed, and the king stopped his attack mid-charge, staring at her in amazement.

"You," he said darkly. "Are a super saiyajin." It was not a question, just a statement, but Pan could feel the disbelief he had.

"Yes Sir," Pan said. Suddenly, a question struck her. "Are there any other Super saiyajins on Vejitasei? Is that what separates elite and first class?" He merely smirked at her question.

"Of course not," he said condescendingly. She rolled her eyes. Can't be _too_ condescending of someone as strong as you. "Myself and the prince are the only two." He frowned. "And now you, a woman."

"And my uncle and father, though my father hasn't trained in years" Pan added absentmindedly. She wondered if he could go beyond super, to the second level. Suddenly she absorbed what he had said.

"Trunks can go super?" She asked, stunned. She continued on angrily, "Why didn't he transform when we fought on the ship? Our mini-tournament would have been MUCH more exciting." She glared at the saiyajin in question, who was standing on the sideline with his mother and sister. Sister and brother were laughing at her mock outrage. Her glare turned into a small smile.

"Well," the king said with a frown. "I suppose this test is unnecessary. For all three of you. Tomorrow you will join the other elite fighters housed in the palace. I will place you" he pointed to Goten "as the Prince's second guard. You," now he pointed at Pan "will guard the Princess. The other one will continue to train with the other elites until he is used to a warrior's life again. His mate may join him there." He had stopped there, but his mate cleared her throat and pointed at her watch.

"You are all invited to join a banquet the queen is throwing in honor of our children's return from a successful mission," he said. It sounded as if Bulma had made him memorize his little speech. "In an hour."

"We will gladly accept," Goten said, addressing the king, but making a small bow to Bulma, the obvious source of their invitation. "May we be excused to get ready?" Vejita dismissed them.

"Dress as warriors," was his parting comment as he used his Instant Transmission. The others left, Pan with Bura, Goten with Trunks, and Gohan and Videl with a guard.

Trunks and Bura led the new elites to the uniform room, where a male saiyajin greeted them.

"What can I do for you, prince, princess?" He said with a bow. Pan and Goten both stifled laughter at his rather feminine way of speaking.

"These two are newly commissioned elites, Meil," The prince stated, gesturing to the Sons. "They need armor, and they need the first set for the banquet in an hour."

"Oh my!" he said. "Just let me get their measurements...you first, miss. Uh-huh...36, good sized bust for a fighter...25" the man continued, writing down their measurements, keeping a running commentary the whole time. An assistant came up to Bura.

"An specifics, princess?" She asked politely, a personal computer in hand.

"Well, two standard issue each," Bura said, thinking of what they should have already as well as what they would need. "One formal each, his with Trunks's sigil and hers with mine, they're our personal guards." the woman wrote it down, making sure to check with the computer on what specifics that meant. "Two, no, three sets of training gear each," Bura continued. "And that should be it, Vinea. By the way, is your sister still open?" Vinea's sister, Graea, ran the closest civilian clothing store Bura could think of.

"Yes, princess," Vinea replied. "Shall I tell her to expect you tomorrow?"

"No," Bura replied. "Just ask her to send us a few outfits that fit their measurements. One nice, formal outfit, and a few casual ones. No skirts for her though, remember, she has to maintain a warrior's image."

"Thank Kami," Pan said as she threw Bura a relieved look for that last comment. "and you too, Bura-hime."

"All done, just come back her about fifteen minutes before the banquet. You can put them on here and I'll have your things sent back to your quarters," Meil said, snapping the measuring tape back into a roll. As they left, he turned to his assistant. "This banquet is just formal enough to need their colored uniforms. We'll need the cloth for his in 10822 and 74490. Trim the 74490 with the 10822, and put Prince Trunks's sigil on the upper-left breast plate of a size-fourteen 004 chest armor. I'll get-"

Bura rushed Pan back to her quarters, had her hair washed, dried, and styled. Pan refused to have it done in anything more complicated that a low bun, which looked decent, except that her hair was too short for two locks of hair to reach, causing them to frame her face. She also refused to put in hairspray, to which Bura only conceded after a long argument. They made their way back to Meil exactly fifteen minutes before, just as her uncle and parents did.

The elite warriors were all in normal clothes, as they had to change, but Videl was in a short black halter dress and thin 2 inch heels. The saiyajins changed clothes, the only difference between their uniforms being the design on the breastplate. Goten's had a reddish-purple ki-blast, Pan's had a lavender lily lined in gold, and Gohan's had a black symbol lined in gold which Trunks told them was the saiyajin word for elite. Pan took a deep breath before walking into her first social function on her saiyajin home world.


	5. Settling In

Chapter 4: Settling In

At the banquet, Vejita welcomed his children home, congratulating Bura on her diplomatic success, and Trunks on his military one. Then he introduced them, the objects of the mission.

"As you all know, the prince and princess, along with three elite warriors, went to Chikyuusei to bring the three demi-saiyajin offspring of Kakarotto back to Vejitasei. They succeeded, and here are the three saiyajins. Gohan, Goten, and Pan." Each one gave a nod as Vejita said his or her name. "They have all tested out as elite class warriors, and will assume their new rank tomorrow. Also, on a slight tangent, the planet Verschu has revolted and declared war on Vejitasei."

Laughter greeted this announcement, but ceased when Vejita raised a hand. "We will give them a week to reconsider their foolishness, then a team of five will be sent to Verschu to eliminate the leaders. I will also appoint a governor of Verschu, who will follow the team three days later. Now, bring out the food!"

As the food came out, the warriors around Pan, Goten, and Gohan began asking them questions.

"Why are you elites?" One young man asked. His uniform showed him to be a first-class warrior, and he was obviously jealous. "You're only half-breeds."

"King Vejita himself tested our strength," Goten replied. "He decided we were elite level. Prince Trunks agreed with his assessment."

"Where are your tails?" Another asked. The others, who hadn't noticed, all looked to see the missing appendages, then looked at the trio expectantly.

"They came off," Pan said. Bura and Trunks had told them to say they came off in battle. "We were fighting an alien who attacked Chikyuusei, Majin Buu." She shot her uncle a nervous glance, and he took over.

"The creature quickly noted that it was our weak point, and took advantage of it," He said. "We removed them. The princess has reassured us that they will come back. My father's always did, at least."

"Of course they come back," the young warrior returned. "But showing up to a royal banquet like that? It's scandalous!" They reassured him that they had only landed three hours before the banquet and hadn't had any time for a visit to the RT (Regeneration Tank) room. He promptly excused them and began stuffing his face, and the trio was not far behind in joining him.

"What's your name?" Gohan asked between servings.

"Barli," he said. "A fellow elite. I'm only twenty-four, but I've been in the elites since I was old enough to join at fourteen. I was the youngest elite ever inducted." He swelled with pride at his honorable status.

"Fourteen?" Pan said with surprise. Bura had told her the minimum power level required for the elite class, and she had reached it at about seven. "When did you start training? When you were ten? Twelve?"

"Of course not," he said. "But I forget that you're new to Vejitasei. Everyone takes basic training at six. Then, at nine, they go into individualized training, either in tactics or power. If you're more brains than brawn, you begin learning science and math. At fourteen you begin specialized career studies, such as a scout, scientist, or trainer, etc."

"So you knew you were going to be an elite at age nine?" Goten asked politely. In an aside, he added to his brother, "seems really friendly for a saiyajin. In fact, most of the saiyajins here seem civilized." His brother nodded in agreement, looking around.

"I hoped," he admitted. "I almost didn't make it. Not that first class would have been bad, and I could have asked for reassessment at twenty."

"Almost didn't' make it? The bar doesn't seem that high." Pan said. Then seeing his expression, she added, "of course, I've been training since I could walk, not just since I was six."

"That's right," Gohan said, nodding. "My wife -err, mate- wasn't too keen on the idea, being human, but it's a family tradition. I began training at four, and my father at four also. Goten didn't get official training till he was eight or so, but he learned a lot by sparring with Kuririn and Yamcha, two of the strongest human fighters."

"You're wife is human?" Barli said, surprised. He looked at Pan. "So you're only one-fourth saiyajin, and you still made elite. That's a real achievement."

"So do you know who the other guards are?" Goten asked, switching topics.

"Well, I'm Prince Trunks's other guard," he said with a smile. "And Princess Bura's other guard is Ninji. I expect you'll meet her after the banquet, but that's her over there." he pointed to a saiyajin female sitting a few places down. She had short, spiky black hair and black eyes. Pan noticed that her tail wasn't all one color. It was a mixture of dark brown, a reddish brown, and black.

"What's up with her tail?" Pan asked, pointing to the offending appendage. "Its multi-colored."

"She's only half-saiyajin, like you." He replied. "She's half saiyajin, half Kurohyujin. The kurohyujin are a race of warriors much like us, except that their ears are pointed and higher up on their heads, their tails are multi-colored, their hearing and vision is much sharper than ours, and where we go for brute strength, they go for speed and dexterity. Kurohyujin are renown for their ability to fit into any space available."

"What's Ninji like? Personality wise," Pan asked. "If I have to work with her, I might as well know all about her."

"Well, she loves fighting," Barli said. Pan rolled her eyes. All saiyajins loved fighting. "She likes cats. She keeps to herself mostly. She's not cold, just really mysterious. I think she misses her father and family on Kurohyusei."

"So you're the only full-blooded saiyajin on guard duty?" Goten asked him.

"Well, no," he admitted. "I'm only three-fourths saiyajin. My grandmother was a Orufujin. They're a more primitive society. They also look a lot like us, but they've got no tails. They also usually have silver hair and amber eyes.

"Pan!" The saiyajin looked up to see Trunks motioning her over. "Ninji, Goten, Barli." They all got up and went to meet the royal siblings.

"Ready to go, princess?" Ninji asked Bura. Trunks just walked off, Barli and Goten a few steps behind him.

"Yes, Ninji," Bura said with a nod. She turned and began walking. "You two can get to know each other on the way there." Pan fell in step with Ninji two steps behind Bura.

"I'm Son Pan," Pan said. Ninji didn't look at her.

"Ninji," Came the curt response. "You had better be good, Son. The last guard I worked with almost got her killed. If you mess up, I'll kill you." Pan narrowed her eyes.

"If you can," Pan retorted. "But you have to worry about me messing up, worry about yourself." Pan decided she didn't like the Kurohyujin. Pan noticed Bura's tail twitching in agitation.

"Why don't you two try and get along," Bura snapped, sounding every inch the princess she was. "The last thing I need is you two unable to work as a team when an assassination attempt occurs. From now on I want you two to train together. You won't spar with anyone but each other or the prince's guards. Or us, of course."

"Yes Bura-hime," Pan said. Ninji said nothing, just nodded. They had reached Bura's quarters, and they went in. There was a short entrance way with two doors coming off each side before the princess's living area.

"Pan, you're room is on the left," Bura said. Ninji had already entered her quarters. She noticed Pan's expression. "You okay, Pan?"

"Hai," Pan replied. "Bura, w -I mean, Bura-hime- will I get to see Trunks-kou any more?" Bura, who knew all about Trunks and Pan's attachment, gave her a sympathetic look.

"Yes," Bura said tentatively. "But not much, and never alone. I'd leave it alone until you're settled in and accepted. His guards are your uncle and Barli, and Barli is pretty nice, so eventually you'll be able to see him almost privately." Pan looked as if she was about to cry and stared in the direction of Trunks's ki. Bura led her into her quarters and sat down on pan's bed.

"Don't worry, Pan," she said. "My brother does love you. Once he feels it's safe, he'll let you know, but for now he has to play it safe." Pan nodded.

I understand that Pan thought. But what if he forgets before its safe? Bura waited until Pan had calmed down.

"Sleep well, Pan-chan," she said. "Just be on the alert for intruders. Use that ki-sensing ability. Oh, and will you teach me that tomorrow? As well as the other techniques you showed my brother?"

"Of course, Bura-hime," Pan said, giving a little bow. Bura rolled her eyes.

"That's not necessary in private," she said. Pan was about to remark that Ninji did, but Bura anticipated her. "Ninji is a stickler for protocol, but neither me, my brother, or my mother insist on it from our personal guards once we get to know them."

"Right," Pan said, relieved. "So what's the daily agenda?"

"Well, I get up at around six, have a light workout, then breakfast," Bura began. "Then I have studies with a private tutor till lunch, then I train with Trunks and my father until supper. After supper is my free time, to shop or just relax or go to sleep. Sometimes I have to attend diplomatic functions in place of my studies in the morning. You and Ninji get time off, too. Ninji has free time between breakfast and lunch, and yours will be between lunch and supper. You alternate who is with me before breakfast and after supper; one staying with me personally, and the other doing various things I need done."

"Thanks, Bura," Pan said. "I'll keep a close watch. Good night."

"Good night, Pan," Bura left the room. Pan closed her eyes, focusing on Trunks and her uncle's ki. Her uncle was only a few feet from her! We must have rooms next door. Pan reasoned. I wonder if they connect. She got up and looked around, feeling along the walls for a door. Sure enough, right behind the full-length mirror in her bathroom the wall sounded hollow. She finally found the opening and released the cache. And stepped back as the door swung inward

"Uncle Goten?" She whispered, sticking her head through the opening. His ki signature was in the next room, and it was alone. "Uncle Goten!" She said a little louder.

"Pan!?" Came his confused reply. He opened the bathroom door, eyes widening as he saw the passageway. "You don't waste any time getting in trouble, do you?" He sounded amused. "How's life with that woman?" He meant Bura. Pan still didn't' understand why they didn't get along.

"Ninji thinks I'm gonna get Bura killed," Pan said, rolling her eyes. "She threatened to kill me if Bura gets hurt on my watch. Bura is great, however. Said I'll get to see Trunks again soon."

"Hmm," her uncle said, his protective uncle mode kicking in. "I don't know about that Pan. He's a lot older than you, and-"

"Uncle Goten," Pan interrupted. "Please don't try and separate us unless we want separation." She stared him down until he reluctantly nodded. "And Don't tell my dad, I'll handle that." She threw him another glare to make sure he understood.

"You look like your grandmother," he said meekly. "That's not fair." Pan laughed. They continued to chat until Goten felt a Barli's ki coming towards Goten's room. "Pan, Barli is coming, you better leave." She nodded and quickly left he room, closing the mirror behind her.

"Goten?" Barli said, sticking his head in the room. In the dark it was easier for Goten to see the amber in his eyes. "Strange. I thought I heard voices. Never mind, sorry for disturbing you, Goten." Goten quickly fell asleep, as did Pan in the next room.


	6. The General

Chapter 5: War

Time past quickly for the new elites. Ten years later, Gohan was now one of Bulma's personal guards, and Videl had managed to attain the rank of second-class warrior, though she didn't join the army. Trunks courted Pan in secret; only he, Bura, Ninji, Barli, Bulma, and Pan's family knew.

Ninji had opened up to Pan after about five years, and was actually quite fun to be around. Ninji had married an elite, Tucce. Barli was also married, to a first-class woman named Ringo. She was pregnant with their first child.

Videl and Gohan had children also, twin boys named Kakarotto and Taiko, who were mischievous troublemakers at only four years old. Bura let them follow her and Pan around, as Videl had asked Pan to teach her younger brothers how to fight. By the time they entered basic training, they had the power and training to qualify as elites, but their parents made them pretend ignorance and constantly hide their ki from their teachers and peers.

The royal family knew, as Gohan had asked king Vejita's permission before he began training them. Vejita took a personal interest in their training, making sure they had the best teacher, namely himself. He reserved one of the training facilities for royal uses only in the afternoons, and the royal fighters and their guards trained strenuously.

"Keep your guard up, brat,' Vejita yelled to Kakarotto, who had just taken a hit from Taiko. He turned to Taiko, "Follow up on your advantage next time, gaki! You hit him, and he didn't retaliate. Hit him again!" They kept fighting while Vejita kept a running commentary.

Ninji was sparring Bura, and the princess was winning. Pan still marveled at the demi-Kurohyujin's flexibility. Ninji charged Bura, assailing her with a barrage of punches and kicks, all of which Bura managed to block. Bura returned with a close-range ki blast, but Ninji dodged and disappeared, reappearing behind Bura. Before she could attack, Bura elbow rammed her stomach. The princess turned around, landing a kick right in Ninji's stomach.

Pan sighed, looking away form the fight. Bura was going to win, she could tell. She looked around for someone to spar with. Goten was sparring with Barli, and her brothers were fighting under Vejita, and her parents were sparring.

"Hey Trunks," Pan said, going to stand by him. He looked at his father, who wasn't looking, and gave her a quick kiss. Pan frowned. "When are you going to tell him?" Her tail lashed in frustration.

"Soon, Pan-chan," he reassured her. She growled at him. He had said that before, and at twenty-six she was getting impatient. "All right, I'll tell him tomorrow. I know he'll approve of you Pan; you're the strongest female on the planet and he genuinely likes you." Pan snorted.

"Yeah right," She said. She knew what Trunks meant, that his father could tolerate her presence. The king didn't _like_ anyone except his mate and daughter. And possibly the twins, but that was probably just because they adored him and did everything he asked without question. She returned to her original question, "Wanna spar?" Suddenly a guard rushed in, saluting to Vejita.

"Excuse me your highness!" he said loudly. Vejita turned to him. "But there is a large unknown squadron heading right towards Vejitasei whose leader demands to speak with you."

"I'll be there shortly," the king announced. He turned to the twins. "Go full out. I want one of you unable to walk before this stops. Trunks, Bura, to the throne room now!" Then he grabbed Bulma's arm and IT-ed away. Trunks grabbed Barli and Pan's arms and followed, leaving Bura to take Goten and Ninji. They reappeared to see a man who looked human on the screen. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes.

"You." the king barked at the man. "Why have you brought a squadron against Vejitasei?" The man's eyes narrowed.

"To exact revenge upon your race," he said. "Saiyajins destroyed our planet years ago, and now we will destroy you! Make peace with the kamis, king, because you'll be meeting them soon enough." With that the unknown man cut the connection, leaving the throne room silent.

"What a lame comment!" Pan said to Ninji. "Everyone knows you don't see the Kamis when you die, you see King Yama." Ninji nodded in agreement, a small smile on her lips.

"Shall I call the elites, king?" Trunks asked calmly, his had on the intercom button. His father nodded, and Trunks pressed down. "All elites report to the throne room ready for battle immediately! All elites report immediately."

Warriors began appearing within seconds, all in their armor. Once they were all there (about one hundred) King Vejita briefed them of the situation, and assigned them ships.

"There will be five ships total," he ended. "twenty-five warriors on the first four, and myself and Prince Trunks on the fifth, smaller vessel. The ships launch in twenty five minutes, so make your good-byes quickly." The warriors all left, and Pan approached the king.

"King Vejita," she said firmly. "I request permission to accompany you and Trunks-kou instead of remaining here with Bura-hime."

"Your job is to protect the princess, soldier," he told her sharply. "Why should I let you come?" Pan thought for a moment.

"Because by helping you defeat these people, I'll be preventing them from reaching Bura-hime," Pan replied. "Thus, I'll be protecting her." He stared at her for a moment.

"Fine, you may come," he said. Suddenly he gave her a knowing smirk. "You can keep the prince company." At the startled looks he got from all present, he added, "I would have had to be stupid not to notice all the time they spent together. Besides, he calls her by name. Don't worry, boy, I approve. Now, lets go, we have a battle to fight." He stared at his daughter, then looked at Barli. "You! Take her place with my daughter."

As they neared the oncoming ships, Vejita stopped the squadron. "Soldiers will attack in five minutes!" He announced over the inter-ship link. "Get in position now." (AN: I know the series was controversial as to whether Saiyajin could breathe in space; Bardock's flashback saying yes, Freiza saying no, but I say yes, so there. And so can demi-saiyajins, also because I say so.)

"King Vejita?" Goten said tentatively. "May I make a suggestion?" the king nodded. "If you place one group of twenty-five on either side at 130o from our position in the asteroid belts, the squadron will be surrounded before they realize there aren't as many saiyajins as there should be. After all, Saiyajins have a reputation for head on assault and overconfidence in their abilities. Lets use that to our advantage."

"That sounds like a decent plan," the king admitted. "Implement it immediately." Goten bowed, and took the com unit from Trunks.

"Member of ship 296Q will position themselves inside the asteroids to the left. Crew of ship 965A will position themselves inside the asteroids to the right. Remain hidden until the prince gives a signal."

"Who the hell is this?" A rough voice asked him over the com. King Vejita spoke.

"That was General Goten, now stop asking questions and move!"

"Yes sir!"

Goten's plan worked perfectly. They destroyed all of the ships but one, a small ship, whose inhabitants were taken prisoner on the king's ship. The newly appointed general and Pan questioned them on the return visit.

"Where are you from?" he said sharply to one of the prisoners. There were only three, two men and a woman. They were all bound in cells, just in case.

"From Jibousei," One of the men finally answered. He had white-blonde hair, like both of the other two captives, and amethyst colored eyes. The other man let out an exclamation at his companion's capitulation. "Shut it, Ori. Our entire race is gone except for us. There is nothing to protect anymore, not even a planet. They've killed us all."

"He's right," the woman said dejectedly.

"We've never attacked a planet name Jibousei," Pan said. "How long ago did you say it was destroyed?"

"Eight years ago," Ori said, his dark purple eyes radiating his hate. "We were just sitting at home, not doing anything, when ki blasts rained down upon our planet. We survived because we were underground at the time, about two hundred of us."

"That wasn't saiyajins," Goten told him, "eight years ago we fought no war, we had to quell a rebellion here on Vejitasei. If saiyajins did destroy your home, it was rogue saiyajins. Not the army."

"Not...saiyajins?" Sumi asked. Her bluish-purple eyes showed disbelief. "but I saw the spaceship! It was saiyajin!"

"Saiyajins aren't the only ones with that type of spaceship," Pan said angrily. "The queen designed it, yes, but we sold the design to other planets over twenty years ago." The three Jiboujins absorbed this information slowly.

"So we were lied to?" Hake said, more to his companions than the saiyajins. His eyes hardened. "But now the saiyajin truly have finished off our race."

"Nonsense," Pan said, exasperated. "You three are still alive, aren't you?"

"You're not going to kill us?" Sumi asked warily.

"Not unless you try to kill us," Goten replied. He unlocked their cells. "Now get up." Sumi rushed over to Hake, and he held her as she cried.

"You two are together?" Pan asked, a note of sympathy in her voice. They nodded, just as Trunks entered.

"Guys, we've landed on Vejitasei," he said. "What have you found out from the prisoners?"

"They were told that their planet was destroyed by saiyajins eight years ago," Goten said. Trunks opened his mouth to reply, but Goten continued. "We told them that was impossible because of the rebellion. They're from Jibousei. Sumi and Hake are those two, and Ori is the other. This is Prince Trunks of Vejitasei."

"Welcome to Vejitasei," Trunks said. "refugees of Jibousei."

"We won't be killed as enemies of Vejitasei?" Ori asked, thinking of the saiyajin reputation.

"I think I can show my father that you were misled," Trunks said. "You can become citizens of Vejitasei if you like, or you can go to another planet. But for now, come on, its time to disembark."


	7. Lord Elite

A/N: Waah! I'm sorry for not updating in, like, forever! I had tremendous writer's block on this story!

…maybe only getting 6 reviews for 6 chapters has something to do with it. As an author, I rely on reviews to let me know if readers like the direction my fic is taking. So, review, okay? I might even put you up here if you say something worth repeating. Constructive criticism!

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Chapter 6: Diplomacy

Trunks went to his sister's apartments and knocked. Pan, who had felt his ki, rushed to the door. Ninji was behind her, approaching at a more sedate pace.

"Hey Trunks," she said, giving him a big hug. "What brings you here? You need Bura for something?"

"No, not my sister," he said. He turned to Ninji. "Will you be our witness, Ninji?" Pan gasped in excitement, as Ninji nodded, a smile on her face.

"Of course, Trunks-kou," She said. "Though it took you forever to ask. Ten years from what I understand." Trunks asked Pan to be his mate forever, she agreed, and he kissed her. Ninji waited a few minutes before interrupting. "As sorry as I am to interrupt, Prince Trunks, Pan; duty calls."

"Right. Lets go," Trunks said slowly, unhappily. "We've got that diplomatic conference in the morning, and I'm sure the king wants to brief us." He ITed the three of them to Vejita, who did indeed wish to discuss the diplomatic conference the next day.

"I have no experience in diplomacy," The king said bluntly once everyone was seated. 'Everyone' was the queen, Trunks, Bura, Pan, Goten, Ninji, and Barli, though Barli and Ninji weren't taking place in the discussions. "That is the queen's job. But just to make certain everyone knows what to expect, I'll let her fill you in." Bulma stood.

"Right," she said smiling. "Our diplomats are coming from many different planets. Five planet, to be exact: Namek, Chikyuu, Kurohyu, Orufusei, and ourselves. The three remaining members of the Jiboujin race will be in attendance also. The Namekian deployment are a young warrior named Nail, and Muuri, an elder and a healer. The Chikyuujin diplomats are Tanmen, Kamesennin, and my father, Dr. Briefs. Remember that the Namekians and Chikyuujins already have an alliance, thanks to Kami.. The Kurohyusei group are Melia and Aron, and the Orufusei representative is Makaji. All of the diplomats are important on their home planet, so be polite. Yes Vejita, polite," she frowned at her mate, who was muttering something about royalty and politeness. "The seating has been arranged, so don't sit at another spot. I've been over this group carefully to determine the seating arrangement. Vejita and I will sit at the head of the table. The Chikyuusei diplomats will be on my right, next to me, and Bura will sit next to them. Melia and Aron next, then at the end of the table, Trunks. On the other side, across from Trunks will be Pan, then Makaji, the Namekians, and lastly Goten on Vejita's left. Got it?"

"Got it," most of the room replied. Vejita said nothing.

"Now, the purpose of the talks is to end inter-species war between us, forming a sort of league," Bulma continued. "We're not to specific on this, but we didn't call the meeting, Kurohyusei did, but Vejitasei is closest to the middle for all of us. After everyone has been welcomed, introduced, yada yada, I will turn the meeting over to Melia and Aron. Questions?"

"No," Trunks said. Bura shook her head.

"Then go to bed!" Bulma said. "The guests should start arriving at noon tomorrow, so be ready!"

The talks weren't very exciting; just a bunch of aliens sitting around arguing. Eventually, Muuri convinced the others that an alliance would be beneficial for all, and they set terms. No fighting amongst each other and to help each other out if attacked; those were the basic rules. The treaty was signed, and the SSL, or the Six-Star League, was formed. After the signing, socializing began.

Pan had an opportunity to study the pure-breds from the SSL planets. Chikyuusei, it turned out, had been the last planet to develop space-worthy craft by almost two thousand years. Looking at the Orufujin, Pan thought she could recognize tales of werewolves; with his amber eyes and luxuriant silver hair covering his head and neck, Makaji looked very much a wolf. Surprisingly, Kurohyusei was in the same solar system as Orufusei. If the Orufujin were wolves, the Kurohyujin were leopards, panthers, lions, and pumas. Pan could only specualte as to what their common ancestor on the evolutionary map would have looked like. The Jiboujin, Pan noticed for the first time, looked like faeries with their short but graceful figures, beautiful faces, large, brightly colored, almond shaped eyes framed by long lashes, their silky hair, and their slightly pointed ears. It seemed that all of Chikyuusei's humanoid legendary figures were in this room.

Dr. Briefs was overjoyed at seeing his daughter again and seeing his grandchildren for the first time. Master Roshi was overjoyed at seeing Goten and Pan, though Pan wasn't quite as excited to see him. Tanmen asked after Gohan; it seemed he had met Gohan as a young boy. Nail brought news from Piccolo and Dende. Ninji visited with the Kurohyujin diplomats, Aron and Melia, and Barli with the Orufujin, Makaji. All in all the talks went very well, and aliens left Vejitasei pleased with their visit for the first time in decades.

Unfortunately, there was a faction of Saiyajins who did not believe in the League. This faction wanted King Vejita to conquer the League, and when he didn't, minor rebellions broke out all over Vejitasei. All of these rebellions could be linked to one saiyajin.

Ricce was a charismatic thirty year old first class saiyajin born in a rural area of Vejitasei and a saiyajin supremist. At the moment, he was in what he termed Rebellion Headquarters, but was actually an unused warehouse. The warehouse was the perfect headquarters for a rebellion, a large main area that could hold thousands of men and many small meeting rooms for leaders and teams.

"Ricce! That plan could expose us before we're ready!" A burly saiyajin growled, pounding his fist on the desk of one of the meeting rooms. The other two men at the table nodded in reluctant agreement. Ricce had suggested an attack on the Prince while he was on one of his inspection tours.

Their ultimate plan was to get the Vejitan dynasty out of power and reinsert one of their own. Their complaints against Vejita were mostly about the alliance of Vejitasei with other species, and secondarily about conditions on Vejitasei. The attack on the Prince wouldn't do any good, only cause the king to crack down on his efforts to find the perpetrators.

Ricce frowned. "Perhaps. But the chances of him finding us is slim, and the blow to the morale of the kingdom will be great. All evidence will point towards the Chikyuujins, which will cause the people of Vejitasei to begin to hate off-worlders. If you want, Retsu, we can vote on it." He said mildly. Retsu sat down, embarrassed.

"No" he finally said. "We'll do it."

"Good." Ricce said. "Here're the details. We'll attack when Prince Trunks is in Yasai City, since that is where the Chikyuu ambassadors are located. I'll make arrangements for the ambassador to be called away to a private meeting with 'Mameryu', an anonymous saiyajin claiming to have found evidence that the King is plotting against him. Approved?"

The others nodded, motioning for him to continue. Retsu sulked, but also nodded his approval.

"So the ambassador will be absent for about…two hours." Ricce continued. "About an hour after his disappearance, we will strike. We'll make it a team of anywhere between one and five, depending on how many men the Chikyuu ambassador takes with him. The objective is to kidnap the Princess. We won't kill the Prince, just a quick surprise attack, letting him see how many of us there are without seeing any actual features."

"Who will lead the team?" One of the saiyajins asked.

"Care'et," Ricce answered promptly. "The ambassador's general is disliked by many already for his blunt distrust of saiyajins. He is the most vulnerable to threats for that very reason, and he already resembles Care'et. Any questions?"

"What about his personal guards?' Care'et asked. "They are both half-breeds, and deserve to die."

Ricce was silent for a moment. "Kill the weaker first, with no warning. Come at him from an angle that makes it seem like a failed attack on the Prince. The other is half-breed also, but only kill him if you have a golden opportunity. I would rather not lose men on a scare-maneuver. If possible, convert him to our cause. Anything else?" silence. "Next meeting in two days at local headquarters in Yasai, two hours before the attack. Dismissed."

"I will NOT guard her!" Goten yelled. "Have Barli do it!"

Pan glared at him. "You and I are the two strongest among the guards; putting the two strongest on one member of the royal family leaves the other exposed to attack," She said. They had already been over this. "I WILL become Trunks's bodyguard, and if I have to get King Vejita's order to make you switch with me, I will!"

"Well, that's what it'll take!" He shot back at her. 'Because I am certainly NOT going to switch form guarding my best friend to guarding his little sister of my own free will!"

"Lets go then," Pan said, turning sharply and stalking towards the throne room, Goten in tow. Servants and other fighters jumped out of the way of the angry elite and general. They both took a moment to compose themselves before entering the throne room.

They came in behind a screen specifically placed to prevent anyone besides the King and Queen form seeing if anyone was there. They bowed, and the King nodded, acknowledging hteir presence while signaling them to remain hidden. Pan peeked through a small hole designed for this purpose.

"You may not raise the taxes in Yasai any further," Bulma said firmly to the petitioner, Lord-Elite Retsu. The elite in his title was just that, a title, for the position was that of a clerk, though this Lord-Elite was actually a first class warrior not far form elite status. "Already the people there struggle to meet the tax demands you place on them."

"Yes, my queen," He said smoothly. "As you say. I have but one more question for you, your highness. The inspection team to Yasai, will it be only your children and their guards, or will any others be accompanying him? I ask so that I have quarters and food enough prepared for the correct amount. I would not wish to short any of your representatives."

King Vejita considered him for a moment, aware of the man's true intentions, which had nothing to do with rooms or food. "Besides my heirs, the Jiboujin will also be in attendance, along with a proper retinue or servants and bodyguards, Lord-Elite Retsu." he glanced at his wife before adding, through gritted teeth, "we would not with to overextend your resources with unnecessary personnel. Dismissed." The man bowed again before leaving, and the two Sons stepped forward.

"Pan! Goten!" Bulma exclaimed happily. "What brings you here?" Pan opened her mouth to explain, but the King cut her off.

"I had been meaning to summon you both," He said. "Both of you have seriously increased in status since the last mission, you as my General, and you as my future daughter-in-law." The two Sons stared at him, not comprehending. "As such, you will not be on guard duty." Seeing their crushed looks, he added. "Though I am hard put to find two replacements good enough. You will choose elites to be your replacements, who I will approve or disapprove. You will take them on the inspection tour at Yasai in two days to train them. You will be assigned your own guards, who you will also pick and have approved. They will also accompany you at Yasai. Any questions?"

"No, your Highness."

"No, King Vejita."

Bulma cleared her throat. "Elite records and status files are now open to you on the computer system, as is almost everything. Now, what brought you two here in the first place?"

Pan stared at the two rulers. "It is irrelevant in light of these new circumstances, Queen Bulma. May we be dismissed?" AT the king's nod, Pan dragged Goten back through the side entrance.

"Well." Pan said once they were alone. "That was unexpected."

"Decidedly," Goten agreed. Suddenly he smiled. "At least I won't have to be with Bura-hime now." Pan sighed. Some things would never change.

"I still don't get why you don't like her," Pan mumbled. Goten jerked up.

"Don't like her? Don't _like_ her?" He repeated in an incredulous voice. "She's the one who hates me! She reminds of it every time she can: in the halls, the training room, the throne room, my own apartments, everywhere! She hates me, so I'll stay away. She hates me, and I loved Marron, and I love her!"

"Trunks, Bura-hime, meet Veeto and Shuchi," Pan said, gesturing towards the two rather nervous looking elites. Veeto was a young man, wiry for a saiyajin, with a bookish look about him. Shuchi was his complete opposite at 50 years old, thick and burly. Both were very qualified for the job. Pan looked at Goten.

"These are our replacements," he said, looking at Trunks. "Hand picked by myself and Pan and approved by the King and Queen. We'll be bringing them to Yasai for their last bit of training." He saw Trunk's questioning look. "You may choose whichever one you wish. Ladies first, of course."

Bura threw him a cool look. "Of course." She put out her hand and Pan, used to her habits, put the two warrior's files in her hand. Bura scanned them and chose. "Shuchi, I think you will do nicely. Shuchi, this is my other bodyguard, Ninji. Ninji, Shuchi, and be nice. You two only have a day to learn to work together, so get on it! I'll stay with Pan, Goten, or the Prince for the rest of the day to remain guarded; you two go spar."

Trunks smirked. "You're so charming, sister dear. Barli!" he called. The warrior came form his place by the door. 'This is your new partner, Veeto. Veeto, this is Barli. The two of you can do the same as the Princess's pair; go train, meet me at my quarters after supper. Dismissed,"

"Yes sir," They said together, giving identical salutes. They seemed surprised, and Barli smiled as they walked out the door, giving Goten a thumbs-up.

"You owe me five buck, uncle," Pan said sweetly. Grumbling, he handed her the prize. At the sibling's look of confusion, Pan added, "I bet that Shuchi would be chosen first." They both smiled.

"That's my Pan,' Trunks said. He added slyly, "Anyway, looks like we're stuck with you two for the rest of the day. What do you want to do?" He asked, knowing exactly what they would each say.

"Spar!" Bura and Goten said together. They looked at each other, surprised, and Goten turned bright red. Bura turned away, giving a contemptuous sound in the process. "Pan, if you would spar with me? I fear I will not trust this new guard with my safety for awhile yet, and I would like to be prepared."

"O…of course, Bura-hime," Pan managed to get out. She had never really noticed Bura's cold treatment of Goten, but now that Goten had mentioned it, she remembered all of the little things Pan had just attributed to being a princess. Only…she treated Barli well enough.

"Hey now, Bura," Trunks teased, attempting to lighten the mood. "I barely ever get to spend quality time with Pan, and you take her away." He gave a dramatized sigh. "Ladies first?" he shot Goten a sympathetic look before looping an arm around Pan's shoulders and following his sister. Yasai was going to be hell.


End file.
